Steel Plate Basics: How Steel Plates Are Made and What They’re Used For

The construction of steel plate covers bridges, warehouses, ships and road repairs and each of those applications has different requirements for the material. Here are some of the largest applications:

Bridge and building construction. Metal plates are also used to reinforce the foundation and anchor steel beams in warehouse and bridge-sized construction.

Military shielding. Steel plates form the basis for armored vehicles and structures to defend against bullets and other threats.

Shipbuilding. Steel plates are easy to weld and strong enough to bear heavy loads, so they are one of the most widely used materials in large ships.

Road plates. Steel plates are used during street repairs as a temporary driving surface, placed over potholes, trenches and holes.

Shipping containers. Steel ships carry 90% of our global cargo, and a good chunk of that cargo, containers included, is made from steel plates, thanks to its ability to endure years of salt, sun, and stacking, says the World Steel Organization. “While this measure does not include containers, which are a major part of cargo shipping, modules made from steel plates, makes sense for this.”

That’s the short list. Plates can also be found in the bases of machinery and equipment, reservoir tanks, dust and grain handling equipment, wheels, and even farming implements.